A "SMELLY" SITUATION HAS AIRBNB SUPERHOSTS "STRESSED"

An ABC report has Darlinghurst Resident and Airbnb landlord Diane Green claiming that noisy sewer works have “the potential to kill her Airbnb business”. If she cancels her listings she may ‘lose her Superhost status’. Ms Green: “I’m getting very stressed.”

In July 2018 “War widow Diane Green”told AltMedia that she and 20 other owners in the 76-apartment building, ‘Top of the Town’in Darlinghurst’s Victoria Street, “receive bookings at their retirement “nest-egg” units”. Now, the liveability and financial viability of these…units, are threatened.” Ms Green’s adds: “Tenants will not tolerate jackhammers overnight, (they) cancel bookings and trash my unit in on-line reviews.” (Under NSW Legislation, Ms Green’s Airbnb clients are not “Tenants”.)

Accredited Guest House and Bed & Breakfast providers ask online when someone in Government will stop the rampant illegal commercial use of housing such as that at the ‘Top of the Town’. Hard to imagine that happening when Ms Green’s Facebook page has her arm-in-armwith Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Through Airbnb, Ms Green’s two-bedroom apartment is advertised at $300/night or $2,100/week. One might assume Ms Green hasn't volunteered to pay commercial interest rates, or commercial council and water rates. Another two-bedroom furnished apartment in the same building with views to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge is available for rent at $760/week. One could make an easy profit were this tenanted apartment to be flipped onto Airbnb and lost amongst the other short-term rentals in the building.

Ms Green’s Airbnb listing says she lives “only minutes from the apartment - just a phone call away - should (clients) need anything”. This invitation wouldn’t extend to helping with the amenity of other Resident Owners and Tenants living in this residential building – there are no contact details advertised for this Airbnb ‘Superhost’.

Here is just one more example of the City of Sydney losing control of its housing supply, with 21 of what is reported to be 76 apartments in one building bookable via Airbnb. One would not be surprised to learn that more apartments were available to short-term corporate clients as ‘serviced apartments’, as is the case with many Sydney CBD residential apartment blocks.

Another Darlinghurst Resident writes that the Airbnb managing agent, Hometime, needs Residents to help with contacts as short-term rental ‘blow-ins’ again dump mountains of rubbish on neighbourhood curbs. Hometime “don’t havethe phone number of a professional waste removal service…on their books”.

When next travelling to or visiting Sydney, please stay with an accredited, licensed accommodation provider.

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